The Most Inspiring Sports Movies of All Time

Sports movies have become such a big part of modern culture, they tell stories of spirit triumphing over adversity, and teach us that, if you want something badly enough, there’s always a way to get it.

The morals that they teach touch people’s hearts, young and old alike. But the best ones make you want to go out there and reach for the stars. Read on to discover some of the most inspiring sports movies of all time.

The Karate Kid (1984)

Everyone knows The Karate Kid as a feel-good film that gave birth to a well-loved character, Mr. Miyagi. Today, Pat Morita is a household name because of it. His role provided valuable life lessons through the discipline of karate and manual labor to the main protagonist, Daniel LaRusso. The relationship between the two is arguably one of the most beautiful and magnetic features of the movie.

In the film, LaRusso fights off his demons while simultaneously battling with the evil Cobra Kai Dojo. Like any other story, he ultimately defeats all of them in one final face-off. It was a movie for all ages and continues to be an excellent choice for a classic movie night.

The Wisdom Segment

I
While he is most famous for hitting an extraordinary 714 home runs and slugging a .690 average, which until today is still the best in the history of baseball, George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr., was among the best left-handed pitchers in the game. Ruth secured a total of 89 victories in six seasons playing for the Boston Red Sox, including 24 in 1917. As their pitcher, he was a crucial part of the Red Sox earning three World Series Championships.

II
Babe Ruth's career in Major League Baseball didn't just start in Boston, it was concluded in the city as well, although it was not with the Red Sox. Released by the New York Yankees because of a diminished game, Ruth was eventually brought in by the Boston Braves in 1935 hoping that he would transition from player to manager the next season. After it became apparent that he was already a shell of his former self and that even the manager spot would be a reach, Ruth concluded his career in baseball, ending 22 years of service in a Braves jersey.

III
One year after retiring, Ruth became one of the five early inductees voted to into the new National Baseball Hall of Fame which was under construction at the time (in Cooperstown, New York). Despite his superb career numbers, 11 of the 226 voters did not include him on their ballots, and Ruth fell behind Ty Cobb as the top candidate. The plaque of "The Sultan of Swat" in Cooperstown pertains to him as the "greatest drawing card" in baseball.

IV
While he did attend St. Mary's Industrial School for Orphans, Delinquent, Incorrigible and Wayward Boys in Baltimore, Babe Ruth was not an orphan. He was there purely for the "delinquent, incorrigible and wayward" aspects of the school's title. "Looking back on my boyhood, I honestly don't remember being aware of the difference between right and wrong," he shared in his autobiography. His mom and dad became so crushed with their incorrigible seven-year-old child that they decided to enroll the problematic boy in the school as a last resort.

V
For a very long time, Babe Ruth thought that February 7, 1894, was his birthday. However, when he processed his passport so he could travel to Japan with other baseball stars of his time following the 1934 season, Ruth discovered via his birth certificate that he was actually born on February 6, 1895, making him a year younger than he thought. Nevertheless, he chose to continue celebrating February 7 as his date of birth.

VI
His dad, George Herman Ruth Sr., was the owner of a chain of saloons in Baltimore and was managing one of his bars in August of 1918 when a feud between two of his brothers-in-law suddenly erupted. George started arguing with one of the in-laws and eventually got in a fight with him on the street. Ruth Sr. hit the ground with the back of his head and passed away from the resultant fracture to his skull.